Funds are requested to develop an MBRS Program at Florida International University. The science faculty has been actively engaged in research since the new facilities opened in 1977. This Program is designed to facilitate on-going faculty and student research efforts by providing funds to: 1) augment University support of student research participants (At the current level of support many students with research interests are not able, for financial reasons, to become active research participants), 2) purchase equipment which will facilitate student involvement in research and speed-up faculty efforts to obtain external funding, 3) support a distinguished speaker seminar series, and 4) increase the amount of time that faculty are able to devote to their research efforts.